Radio involves a lot of talking... But at Revelation Radio, we do a lot of reading too! This is just one of the ways for us to share some of the awesome insights that we come across, and hopefully encourage you on your journey toward excellence in the places that God has called you to! Enjoy!

Friday, October 20, 2017

His Victory from My Defeat

I am not invincible.
Contrary to my own beliefs, I am still a mere man. For quite a long time, I
have believed that I was more. I wore my faith and my own beliefs as a hide of
armor. However, the 'my beliefs' part of my armor had a lot of holes in it. You see, all beliefs must be
forged and tested against the anvil called "The Bible," then, and only
then can a belief be proven true or false. Without this, "beliefs"
can't stand up to the wiles of the Devil, or the test of time. I had been
filling gaps in my armor with these untested beliefs. Like clay patches on
steel armor, I would lie to myself, to bolster my confidence, strengthen my
resolve, and avoid the fact that I, like every other human, have weakness in my
heart and mind. But clay doesn't adhere to steel. Lies don't fix weakness.

I, like the infamous
Smaug (the Dragon from the beloved fiction tale "The Hobbit") had
searched up and down my impenetrable hide, and found no visible flaws or
imperfections. But, like Smaug, I had a hole, just large enough for an arrow to
penetrate. I had unconsciously filled this hole with clay long ago, and
commenced battle in that condition. I had won battles in this condition;
however, the lingering pain of this weakness covered with lies remained.

Many of my friends
knew there was a general area of weakness, amidst layers and layers of
indestructible scales. They couldn't quite pinpoint the exact location, and I
must confess, neither could I. Then came the cracks. Battle after battle, the
enemies arrows struck closer and closer to the clay, beginning to chip it away.
I started returning from battles against Satan feeling battered and bruised,
weak and worthless. The clay was falling out. I would plead with God to fill
this hole and repair this hide (still not knowing where exactly it was or why
it was there). I wanted to get back to the battle, to continue to wage war on
the "principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this
age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." That's
what a "strong Christian" does, right? But I was asking for the wrong
things...

Then one day I
departed the safety of the camp of fellowship with other believers, the ones
who knew my weakness. I went about my routine that week, battling Satan and my
flesh, thinking I stood strong for Christ. But this week wasn't like the rest.
The Enemy knew the fault in my armor, and that the clay was failing. And now I
was alone. He pulled back his bowstring and let fly. Soaring through the cool
night air, it hit it's mark and seated steadfast into the soft flesh amid an
otherwise immaculate armored hide. Realizing that the clay of lies had not
stopped the arrow, and that God had not fixed this hole, I fell hard. I lashed
out at God in anger and frustration, and I surrendered to the onslaught
proceeding from the Enemy lines. They overtook me, and I allowed and embraced
the defeat. They won this fight. As I lay prostrate on the battlefield, left
for dead and humiliated, the only course of action I could take was to crawl back to God and repent
for my sinful actions and beg for His forgiveness.

The lie I had filled
my armor with: I am never getting married.

The hole in my armor:
a need to be loved, wanted, and for someone to be proud of me.

The fall: a spiteful
attempt to "show God" that if I wasn't going to get married, then I
could be as promiscuous as I wanted.

I admitted my sin to
God first. Then I went to some of my brothers in Christ. This is where God
began to birth true humility. One of my brothers in whom I confided, is married,
and shared some of my struggle with his wife as they prayed for me. His wife is
also an overseer in a ministry that I serve in. Five days after my fall, I
found myself pinned in a corner. Sitting in her office, she was asking too many
questions. She dug and pulled and pried, checking the scales of my armor, and
getting uncomfortably close to my recent wound. Just a word of caution, She is
famous for this. She can dig up a random
skeleton from the bottom of the ocean, find out their names and family relations
and their favorite color with the questions that God has her ask! By His will,
she has been strategically placed in my life as my sister, to ask these
questions. For days like that day. She peeled back the scales of my armor and
showed me that my problem wasn't a desire for a spouse, but the deeper desire
to be wanted and loved and significant to someone. Then with the careful
guidance from the Holy Spirit, she administered the Word of God like a salve to
my raw and bleeding wounds.

See, I like Paul, had
a thorn in my side. God's answer to my pleading for him to remove it? " My
grace is sufficient for you: my strength is made perfect in [your]
weakness." God wanted my reliance to be on Him! How could God be "for
me" if I didn't need Him? Furthermore, He revealed that He "is not
ashamed to be called my God!" My God is proud of me! I am His work, His
creation, His adopted son, His prize.My significance comes from Him! And, Oh how I love Him dearly!

Too often we fill the
holes in our armor with lies. These lies poison our minds with a false sense of
security and hinder our walks with Christ. "I can never
forgive..."" I cannot overcome this addiction." "I am not
strong enough..." "I will never be able to.." We forget that we
have weakness for a purpose: to show His strength! "I can never
forgive.." God forgave you, He can help you forgive them. "I cannot
overcome..." Take heart, Christ overcame the world, and He lives in you!
"I am not strong enough.." God's strength is made perfect in your
weakness. Let him be your strength. "I will never be able to.." With
man it is impossible; But with God all things are possible."

We have no excuses.
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" You don't have to fight alone!
Lasting victory only comes when we enlist the Lord of Hosts. How do we enlist
His help? Daily time with him. Hide His Word in your heart. Get godly counsel.
Stay in fellowship with those with whom you can be real, who will pray with you
and for you. Serve! Worship! Make loving Him the center of your life!

I am not invincible.
Contrary to my own beliefs, I am still a mere man. For quite a long time, I
have believed that I was more. I wore my faith and my own beliefs as a hide of
armor. However, the 'my beliefs' part of my armor had a lot of holes in it. You see, all beliefs must be
forged and tested against the anvil called "The Bible" then, and only
then can a belief be proven true or false. Without this, "beliefs"
can't stand up to the wiles of the Devil, or the test of time. I had been
filling gaps in my armor with these untested beliefs. Like clay patches on
steel armor, I would lie to myself, to bolster my confidence, strengthen my
resolve, and avoid the fact that I, like every other human, have weakness in my
heart and mind. But clay doesn't adhere to steel. Lies don't fix weakness.

I, like the infamous
Smaug (the Dragon from the beloved fiction tale "The Hobbit") had
searched up and down my impenetrable hide, and found no visible flaws or
imperfections. But, like Smaug, I had a hole, just large enough for an arrow to
penetrate. I had unconsciously filled this hole with clay long ago, and
commenced battle in that condition. I had won battles in this condition;
however, the lingering pain of this weakness covered with lies remained.

Many of my friends
knew there was a general area of weakness, amidst layers and layers of
indestructible scales. They couldn't quite pinpoint the exact location, and I
must confess, neither could I. Then came the cracks. Battle after battle, the
enemies arrows struck closer and closer to the clay, beginning to chip it away.
I started returning from battles against Satan feeling battered and bruised,
weak and worthless. The clay was falling out. I would plead with God to fill
this hole and repair this hide (still not knowing where exactly it was or why
it was there). I wanted to get back to the battle, to continue to wage war on
the "principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this
age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." That's
what a "strong Christian" does, right? But I was asking for the wrong
things...

Then one day I
departed the safety of the camp of fellowship with other believers, the ones
who knew my weakness. I went about my routine that week, battling Satan and my
flesh, thinking I stood strong for Christ. But this week wasn't like the rest.
The Enemy knew the fault in my armor, and that the clay was failing. And now I
was alone. He pulled back his bowstring and let fly. Soaring through the cool
night air, it hit it's mark and seated steadfast into the soft flesh amid an
otherwise immaculate armored hide. Realizing that the clay of lies had not
stopped the arrow, and that God had not fixed this hole, I fell hard. I lashed
out at God in anger and frustration, and I surrendered to the onslaught
proceeding from the Enemy lines. They overtook me, and I allowed and embraced
the defeat. They won this fight. As I lay prostrate on the battlefield, left
for dead and humiliated, the only course of action I could take was to crawl back to God and repent
for my sinful actions and beg for His forgiveness.

The lie I had filled
my armor with: I am never getting married.

The hole in my armor:
a need to be loved, wanted, and for someone to be proud of me.

The fall: a spiteful
attempt to "show God" that if I wasn't going to get married, then I
could be as promiscuous as I wanted.

I admitted my sin to
God first. Then I went to some of my brothers in Christ. This is where God
began to birth true humility. One of my brothers in whom I confided, is married,
and shared some of my struggle with his wife as they prayed for me. His wife is
also an overseer in a ministry that I serve in. Five days after my fall, I
found myself pinned in a corner. Sitting in her office, she was asking too many
questions. She dug and pulled and pried, checking the scales of my armor, and
getting uncomfortably close to my recent wound. Just a word of caution, She is
famous for this. She can dig up a random
skeleton from the bottom of the ocean, find out their names and family relations
and their favorite color with the questions that God has her ask! By His will,
she has been strategically placed in my life as my sister, to ask these
questions. For days like that day. She peeled back the scales of my armor and
showed me that my problem wasn't a desire for a spouse, but the deeper desire
to be wanted and loved and significant to someone. Then with the careful
guidance from the Holy Spirit, she administered the Word of God like a salve to
my raw and bleeding wounds.

See, I like Paul, had
a thorn in my side. God's answer to my pleading for him to remove it? " My
grace is sufficient for you: my strength is made perfect in [your]
weakness." God wanted my reliance to be on Him! How could God be "for
me" if I didn't need Him? Furthermore, He revealed that He "is not
ashamed to be called my God!" My God is proud of me! I am His work, His
creation, His adopted son, His prize. And, Oh how I love Him dearly!

Too often we fill the
holes in our armor with lies. These lies poison our minds with a false sense of
security and hinder our walks with Christ. "I can never
forgive..."" I cannot overcome this addiction." "I am not
strong enough..." "I will never be able to.." We forget that we
have weakness for a purpose: to show His strength! "I can never
forgive.." God forgave you, He can help you forgive them. "I cannot
overcome..." Take heart, Christ overcame the world, and He lives in you!
"I am not strong enough.." God's strength is made perfect in your
weakness. Let him be your strength. "I will never be able to.." With
man it is impossible; But with God all things are possible."

We have no excuses.
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" You don't have to fight alone!
Lasting victory only comes when we enlist the Lord of Hosts. How do we enlist
His help? Daily time with him. Hide His Word in your heart. Get godly counsel.
Stay in fellowship with those with whom you can be real, who will pray with you
and for you. Serve! Worship! Make loving Him the center of your life!

Psalm 1 says" Blessed is the one who does not walk in the steps with the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sits in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, which brings forth his fruit in his season, whose leaf does not whither and whatever he does shall prosper.

Walk with
brothers and sisters who encourage you to "delight" in Jesus, and
find your strength and sufficiency in Him alone. His strength and protection is
a much better defence of our than our clay of pretence and lies. When we walk
close with Him, anything can be overcome!